Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze has called for severing economic ties with Russia and Belarus “to the maximum,” LSM reports. She insisted that Latvia must continue to decontaminate itself from Russian influence, stressing that economic security was as important for national security as military security. Braze reiterated the need for robust EU sanctions against Russia…
A potential cholera case has been recorded in Estonia for the first time in over 30 years, according to the Estonian Health Board (Terviseamet), ERR reports. A child who was hospitalised in Tallinn after returning from overseas tested positive for cholera. Another child from the same family who developed similar symptoms was hospitalised as well….
Baltic leaders reacted strongly to Russia’s massive missile attacks across Ukraine, including against a children’s hospital in Kyiv, on 8 July 2024. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that there was “no line Russian terrorists would not cross.” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Russia was a terrorist state with whom negotiations were impossible. Estonian…
The number of poor people in need of assistance in Latvia has been decreasing in recent years in the regions of Kurzeme and Latgale, but has increased in the capital, Riga, according to the state-run Society Integration Foundation (SIF), LSM reports. More than 20% of all poor and low-income people received food aid and basic…
Medical experts in Latvia have warned that drug use among adolescents is rising, LSM reports. The number of young drug users admitted to hospital is also rising, and some of them overdose repeatedly, the experts said. Statistics show that the number of young people who have tried and regularly use narcotics is increasing. The data…
Underage marriages still occur in Lithuania primarily due to teenage pregnancies, despite a decline in recent years, LRT reports. Legislation allows courts to lower the legal marriage age of 18 in cases such as pregnancy. However, this practice has been criticised by the United Nations and children’s rights advocates, who argue that minors cannot give…
In the 2023/2024 school year, Latvian ninth-graders performed best in English exams, with an average score of 63.9%, and worst in mathematics, with an average score of 43.2%, according to data from the National Centre for Education (VISC), LETA reports. Both results were lower compared to the previous year, when students averaged 66.1% in English…
Smoking rates in Latvia are rising again after a decade of decline, LSM reports. Children are starting to smoke at a younger age, with a notable increase in electronic cigarette use among those aged 15-24 years. Public health experts highlight the misconception among parents that electronic cigarettes are less harmful than traditional ones. They emphasise…
Estonia’s annual number of live births dropped to a new record low in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Interior, ERR reports. The number of people born totalled 10,721 in 2023, which was down 867 from 11,588 a year earlier. Deaths totalled 15,832, which was down 1,413 from 17,245 in 2022. Deaths thus…